Generation of Cosplay

Cosplay WIP: Rider (Fate/Stay Night) #3

2016-08-02T13:24:00.002-07:00

Hey guys! DarthNancy here!

Long time no see!

I got really busy working on things for Fanime and Anime Expo, and then I got really lazy to post stuff. But here I am again, posting another WIP post for Rider (although this costume is actually done now!). Check out the other WIP posts if you haven't yet. WIP#1 WIP #2

Photo by Derek Marahaj Photography

Boot Detailing: Rider has a very small amount of “armor”. I put that in parenthesis because it doesn’t work very well as armor but I guess if we get technical that is what it is. Her armor consists of two parts: a smaller rectangle shape and a larger bell shape. I had some difficulties with the second bell-shaped piece because when I kept drawing it out, it kept looking like a penis. This *really* bothered me because I didn’t want the end result to look like that!!! I did what I could but I guess it is inevitable that it has that kind of shape. Blah. She also has a small amount of trimming at the top of her boots. I had to measure the area on my thigh that these would sit on and use that to know how long the trimming needed to be. I drew the draft on card stock and then transferred it to EVA foam. I shaped the armor with a heat gun and cleaned up the edges with a soldering tool (although looking back on it I should have dremmeled the edges).

Trimming: Rider’s dress has a small amount of trim around the hem of the neckline. I used craft foam for this to match with the bracelets and boot armor, but to make it thinner than the EVA foam I used for those. I tried on the dress to see how wide and how long I wanted the trim to be. I made the prototype out of painter's tape then I traced it onto EVA foam. I heated it up with a heat gun and cleaned up the edges with a soldering tool. To make things easier for myself, I will be gluing the EVA foam directly onto the dress with hot glue. Craft foam and craft foam actually glue very well to fabric.

Bracelets: Rider has 4 bracelets on each hand. One large one on her wrist, one on her forearm, and two up higher past the elbow. For these, I had to measure exactly the length of each, as well as eyeball how wide each of them were. From there, I again drew them on cardstock and transferred the pattern onto EVA foam. The large bracelet on her wrist is very obviously beveled on the sides. The other bracelets are sometimes shown as being beveled as well, but not always. I think I'll leave those as they are so as not to make too much work for myself for now.

Other small details: Rider’s mask and bracelets have small metal detailing. Because these are pretty small I decided to add actual metal rivets. I made a tiny hole so I could glue them in AFTER the pieces are plasti-dipped and painted.

Stakes: The stakes for Rider were really fun to make actually! I will have a whole separate post on that :D

Until next time!

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Cosplay Spotlight: Shizuku (Hunter xHunter)

2016-05-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Generation of Cosplay!
Today I have a special treat for you~ A full spotlight of my Shizuku cosplay!

This is a cosplay that has grown on me a lot. Firstly, I am such a huge fan of Hunter x Hunter! It has definitely become one of my favorite anime/manga of all time! And Shizuku is one of my favorite characters! She is quiet and doesn't have a big role in the series, but she charmed me either way! Her ability to summon a crazy demon-looking vacuum and the fact that she wears glasses is so cool too! As soon as I saw Shizuku, I knew I wanted to cosplay her! So here's all the info you need to know about my Shizuku cosplay ^_^

Deme-Chan/Vacuum: The most important part of this costume is the very unique vacuum prop. I have a full tutorial on how I made this, so you can check that out HERE.

Clothes: Shizuku has an insanely simple outfit, so you don't even have to sew anything! I bought a black turtleneck shirt online, and just used jeans I already had!

Glasses: I bought my oversized glasses super cheap on eBay!

Shoes: Shizuku has green shoes in the same color as her vacuum, I bought some white shoes from Target andcpainted them with acrylic paint. Turned out pretty well!~

Necklace and Bracelets: For both the necklace and bracelets, I used gold chains that I got at Joann's. One packet was good for the necklace and another packet was good for the two bracelets. I made the cross by hand drawing it out and tracing it onto Worbla. The cross is two layers of worbla with craft foam in between. Then I just sprayed the cross gold and voila!

Wig: The wig I have I bought on eBay and it was sold specifically as a Shizuku wig. I don't *love* it, but it works. I really need to go back and style it more Dx

Contacts: The contacts I am using for Shizuku are the Vassen Colour Pink Brown lenses. They are like a neutral pinky color.

I really love wearing Shizuku! I am very happy with how she turned out ^_^

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Cosplay WIP: Rider (Fate/Stay Night) #2

2016-04-10T23:33:00.001-07:00

Hey there everyone~ DarthNancy here!

I just wanted to share some small progress with my Rider cosplay. I have been mostly focused on making the mask for Rider right now. I have the shape cut out, the details laid out, and now I am priming it with PlastiDip! I have a few more coats to go before I can start painting it! But here it is below:

In the mean time I will be working on cutting out the shape of her boot armor, bracelets, and dress trimming from EVA foam while the layers of PlastiDip dry! Ideally, I want to paint everything at the same time so it will be the same shade of purple. I will keep you guys updated on my WIP!

Until next time!

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Generation of Cosplay recommends: NateWantsToBattle

2016-04-06T00:59:00.001-07:00

Hey how’s everyone doing today? JayEl here, and I wanted to give you guys a heads up to our next little project here on Generation of Cosplay. This new segment will be called Generation of Cosplay Recomends. Here we will write about some of our personal interests in things such as music, games, and videos, hopefully introducing everyone to something new they can enjoy.

It’s no secret that here at Generation of Cosplay we enjoy a lot of different things, anime, manga, games, etc, but one of my personal interest comes in the form of cover artists for Japanese songs. That’s where this artist comes into play. Nathan Sharp, better known as NateWantsWoBattle, is a YouTube artist that falls under the category of cover artist, taking his love for nerdy stuff to create English covers and music videos for songs as well as original content for his channel.

Music not your thing? Well he also features parodies, vlogs, unboxings, top 10 countdowns, let’s play, all to which he puts his own twist to. I personally enjoy watching the Five Nights at Freddy’s playthroughs, a game which I really suck at. He provides a diverse amount of content that keeps me interested and coming back for more. If you are an individual who likes to listen to English covers or just wants to watch some nerdy goodness, I highly recommend that you guys give NateWantsToBattle a try.

Hit the like button if you would like to see more posts like these on out page, as well as a comment or two of suggestions on your ideas for this segment.

Generation of Cosplay: https://www.facebook.com/Generationofcosplay/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

NateWantsToBattle:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NateWantsToBattle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NateWantsToBattle/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/natewantstobtl

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/natewantstobattle/id616187993

Prop Tutorial: Shizuku (Hunter x Hunter) Vacuum Deme-Chan

2016-04-05T14:23:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!

Phew...finally I get around to post a tutorial for this prop that had me pulling my hair out! Shizuku's vacuum was supposed to be a pretty easy build, but my mistakes and my procrastination made this 1000% more stressful than it should have been T_T Regardless, I will show you guys all my steps, and advise you on things you could do better than I did. So let's get started!!

Materials Used

Vacuum (thift store purchase)
Cardboard
Expandable foam
Box cutter
Masking tape
Paper mache (newspaper and paper mache glue)
Craft plaster
Worbla
Fast Mache
Wood glue
Spray paint
Acrylic paints
paint brushes
Acrylic Sealer
Large Googly eyes
Worbla scraps (for the eyes of the body)

Tutorial

1. Start by acquiring a vacuum. This could be any old vacuum you can find, as long as it's a similar shape to Shizuku's. You could also create the shape of the vacuum yourself, but I made it easier on myself and got a vacuum at a thrift store for just $8! The one I got looked a lot like this:

2. Now that you have your vacuum, it is time to alter the vacuum head. I had to screw out some parts to just have the outer shell of the vacuum as a base for Deme-Chan's face/mouth. I started by drawing out the basic shape of the mouth out of cardboard, and taping it to the vacuum head.

3. Expandable foam time! I foamed the entire part, let it cure, and then carved it to get the shape I wanted. This is where my mistakes began. I really should have taken my time to shape it better Dx

4. Add the tongue! Since I wanted the tongue to be super sturdy and not fall off, I added it at this point. I made the tongue out of Worbla.

5. Mask that thang!~ Get your giant roll of masking tape and tape the entire thing.

6. Now, it's time to go back to being a kid and paper mache with newspaper and Elmer's glue/water mix.

7. Add the teeth! since I used heated up Worbla to make the teeth, I added them after paper mache-ing. In retrospect, I should have waited until after I plastered it to add the teeth (and I should not have plastered over the Worbla too).

8. Now, there are many alternative routes here. Instead of plastering or fast mache-ing like I did, you could use Wood Filler or even Sculpting Epoxy. Here's the problem with plaster: it was too fragile and it kept cracking and flaking (*which I just learned is because I applied too much plaster!). It was smooth, but it would not hold up. It might have been that the craft plaster I used was not strong enough. I might need to try out professional grade plaster instead. Fast Mache dries too rough and it is really difficult to sand it. You will be sanding for days! I will be trying out the Wood Filler and Epoxy method to see how they compare.

9. Sand, sand, sand. The main problem with the result of my vacuum was that it was too bumpy and the whole thing ended up being thicker than expected. I tried sanding this a lot, but sanding can only do some much to smooth the surface. Sanding cannot cannot completely smooth over bumps.

10. Prime. I used Wood Glue to prime this and hopefully get a smoother look. Wood glue is awesome for smoothing the surface and you can use many layers of it! But again, priming can only do so much so it did not smooth all the bumps (arrrrg!).

11. Paint, paint, paiiiiiint! Now you are free to paint your prop. I used a green spray paint for the main color, and the rest is acrylic paints. I am no expert at painting so I just did what I could. At this point, also paint the main body of the vacuum.

12. Add painted eyes to the vacuum head, and big google eyes (or make your own eyes) to the body of the vacuum. I used big googly eyes that I bought from Michaels to add to the back of the head of the vacuum (painted them and glued them on). And I made the eyes for the main body out of scraps of Worbla.

13. Seal your paint! You want your paint job to last, you did work hard on it :D And Ta-Da!!! Your prop is done. Awesome job ^_^

Tips

These are the tips I will leave for you guys, and that I wish I could have given myself prior to starting this prop:

Never, ever, EVER start your prop two days before a con. You will rush to finish it, you will most likely make mistakes, and you might be unhappy with the result.
Don't assume that because a method has worked for someone else, it will work for your project flawlessly.
Try out different methods and test them before actually using them on a prop. It is very difficult undoing mistakes on a half-finished prop. For example, I am not very interested in trying out different methods of smoothing over a prop since Fast Mache and plaster didn't 100% work out for this prop.
Give yourself enough time to work on a prop so that you will not be too stressed. Stress and frustration lead to making mistakes. Making mistakes leads to more stress and frustration. It is a vicious circle!

Hope this is helpful! ^_^

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Do It For The Cosplay! Health & Fitness Part 1

2016-04-04T16:29:00.001-07:00

Hello Generation of Cosplay! Discorda here!

(My transformation over the course of 1 year, from 158lbs - 135lbs)

Welcome to Part 1 of a series of blog posts that I will be posting about health and fitness!

As some of you may know, I strongly believe that if you are comfortable in your body, you should cosplay whatever you want! There is no specific body type for cosplay.

However, I, as some of you may have experienced as well, am not entirely comfortable with my body for many reasons. And so, I have begun a fitness and health journey to better both my overall health and my body image. In this series of blog posts, I will include personal experience, tips, diet, and many other things!

Today I will be talking about getting started: making a plan, sticking to it and having fun with the new change!

MAKING A PLAN
The hardest part about getting started for many people is making a plan. This means, what exactly you are aiming for and how you plan to get there. For me, my main plan was to lose some weight and tone up! However, some people may want to do the opposite: gain weight and define their muscles, or maybe you just want to get toned! Whichever it is, planning for it can be quite tricky.
I used the following steps to make my plan:

Determined my plan and long term goal.

For me, this was weight loss, and eventually tone that up
I also wanted to change my eating habits to eating healthy all the time

Plan how I was going to achieve this

I wanted to hit the gym, so I wouldn't have to depend so much on eating less (because I love food too much!)
Planned to start my day with the gym, bright and early! (I usually go at 6 or 7 am)
For food, I decided to only buy groceries that would require me to cook, or that were healthier I.E. more fruits and veggies and fish instead of chips, candy, and sausages.

Set a starting day and stick to it.

I get it. Believe me. It's so much easier saying "I'm gonna go to the gym today!" than actually going. However, the only way to actually get started on making a change is doing it on the day you plan!

If you are having difficulty with this, try bribing yourself to get started! Say "I'm allowed to buy myself this (insert item you've been wanting) if I go to the gym for a whole week every day!

Have fun + don't forget to treat yourself!

Find exactly what you enjoy. Blasting music and working out alone? Group exercises like Zumba or Butts&Guts?
TREAT YO SELF. Seriously, this is important. If you have been following a strict diet for a week, allow yourself one cheat meal! You don't have to follow your guidelines so strictly that it becomes a chore, or else you will be miserable!

STICKING TO YOUR NEW LIFESTYLE

Sticking to something you have just started can be hard.. Especially when it has to do with eating or workout habits. I know the struggle all too well.

This is really just a question of: Do you really want it or need it?

For example. You plan on going to the gym because you think it may better your cosplay, but in reality, you are comfortable with your body just the way you are and you see yourself slowly stopping going to the gym... THIS IS TOTALLY FINE! If you feel happy, then trust me, I want to throw you a party with confetti because that is what should be everyone's main goal!

However, if you want to make a change because you do feel uncomfortable with yourself, and you find that you are feeling discouraged because you don't see progress.... just keep moving forward. Keep at it with the hard work. This is a LONG process! So don't expect it to be an overnight thing!

Set short term goals! This could be something as simple as losing 2lbs that week, or running 15 miles total in 1 week, and so on and so on. It feels so satisfying knowing that you have accomplished a goal and can check it off the checklist!

(Left: 150lbs 1/5/2016, Right: 135lbs 3/5/16)

That's all I have for now. Until next time!!

Cosplay WIP: Shizuku (Hunter x Hunter) #2

2016-04-01T01:07:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone :)

So the last time I updated you guys on my Shizuku cosplay, this is how my Deme-chan prop looked:

But a lot has changed since then! Here is some progress! Since then I sanded my prop as much as I could, although it was sort of difficult because I used too much plaster on it and it kept cracking D: I primed it with plenty of wood glue to get it ready for paint~

I then spray painted it green and added pink for the mouth area/tongue and white for the teeth:

I then painted the inside black added a little bit of detailing. I also changed the color of the pink to a more muted brown-toned pink. I felt like the previous pink was too bright:

Lastly, I changed the shade of green. Deme-chan is supposed to be a blue-toned green, so I think this looks a lot more accurate color-wise.

That's all for now, but this should be all done by tomorrow! Yay, so excited!

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Poll: Facebook 1,000 Likes Giveaway!

2016-03-17T12:19:00.001-07:00

Hello Generation of Cosplayers!

We are nearing 1,000 Likes are we are absolutely floored! Thank you all so much for your support. We really appreciate it! We have had a lot of fun cosplaying together and managing this page and we look forward to the future of Generation of Cosplay! To show our appreciation, we would love to give back to all of you. Once we reach 1,000 Likes, we will be hosting a giveaway! Now we need all your help on deciding what we should give away~ Thank you for taking the time to vote ^_^

Vote on this poll.

Hello Generation of Cosplayers! We are nearing 1,000 Likes are we are absolutely floored! Thank you all so much for your support created by Poll

Cosplay WIP: Pentakill Sona (League of Legends) #1

2016-03-16T10:19:00.001-07:00

Welcome back everyone :) DarthNancy here!

Yes, yes here is another WIP post! Why so many of these lately, you ask? Because I am trying not to procrastinate on my cosplay projects and I want to get stuff dooooone~! And this way I can update you guys on what I've been up to ;)

Currently one of my long-awaited cosplay projects is Pentakill Sona. Sona is by far my favorite champion because she was my main when I was playing LoL. This version of Sona is also my favorite because 1) she's a redhead, 2) she is all rocked out, 3) her instrument is totally badass, and 4) her instrument has a raven skull (Ravens are my favorite animal!). So yaaas I am super stocked to finally be doing this!

http://orig03.deviantart.net/a808/f/2014/152/8/8/league_of_legends___sona_pentakill_by_xblackswordman-d7koyvi.png

Corset: The first thing I acquired for this cosplay was a pleather black corset with a zipper in the middle. Sona's corset doesn't have a zipper but it works just fine since her corset has silver trimming down the middle anyway. I will be sewing silver bias tape along the corset's boning and edges to mimic the look of hers. I bought this corset on Amazon.

Skirt and Chains: I will be making the skirt from scratch, however I still haven't decided on what fabric to use for it. I will update you guys as soon as I figure that out :D As far as the chains go, I found some faux chains at Hobby Lobby that are super light weight and perfect for this cosplay! Such a great find! I will be making the spiky ends of the chains from out of Worbla, and I will be adding wire through the chains to make the chains look like they are floating.

Etwal: Sona's Etwal is the most complex and difficult part of this cosplay. So far I only have cut outs for the shape of the main piece and the side blade. A huge thanks to +Pyroleon15 for helping me get the shape of the blade just right! I am actually not 100% sure in what direction I want to go when it comes to this prop. I will either be using EVA foam or expandable foam. I will make sure to get lots of progress photos!

If you guys have any questions, please let me know. More progress posts coming soon~

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Cosplay WIP: Rider (Fate/Saty Night) #1

2016-03-15T22:05:00.001-07:00

Welcome to another WIP post everyone ^_^ DarthNancy here!

I am excited to show you what I have so far for my Rider cosplay! I have loved Rider since I first saw her in the original Fate anime, and loved her even more when I read the Fate/Stay Night visual novel. This has been a planned cosplay for YEARS! And finally it is going to happen! So psyched!

Keep in mind that I decided to go the "easy" route with Rider. I am not sewing her dress or gloves. Instead I bought things online that I could alter. This is the better method for me right now as I don't really have the time to sew these from scratch.

Dress: I bought this dress (which I have yet to receive) on AliExpress (I can't find the item anymore, sadly). It is a pleather A-line mini dress, very similar to Rider's. My plan is to add the purple trim to along the neckline and that should be it! :D

Boots: Rider wears thigh high boots. They look like socks, but they are boots. I cold have gone with using long boot covers over shoes, but I decided to instead buy thigh high pleather boots to match the dress. These are a tad shorter than Rider's but I can make then appear longer when I add the purple trimming at the top. I bought these on Amazon, if you are curious (thanks to AldyAlvv for the info on these, since these are the boots she is using for her Mistletoe LeBlanc cosplay).

Gloves: Like the other things I decided to buy pleather gloves that I could eventually alter since Rider's gloves are quite peculiar. I'm not sure how I feel about these yet because the pleather seems quite different from the pleather of the dress/boots. But I will see how they look once I get the dress.

Mask: The first thing I am working on is her eye mask. Right now I am just playing around with the general shape of the mask as well as the shape and arrangement of the details. I am going to be making all of Rider's trimmings/bracelets and the mask out of EVA and craft foam!

More Rider progress coming soon ^_^

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Cosplay WIP: Shizuku (HunterxHunter) #1

2016-03-10T18:27:00.002-08:00

Hi everyone ❤

And welcome to another Work In Progress post. This time it is for my costume progress for Shizuku from Hunter x Hunter! I've been working on this costume for a while and it has been 80% done sine December, but I have been procrastinating with the main prop for this cosplay: Deme-chan (the vacuum). Here is most of the cosplay so far:

I still have some things I need to improve before I wear this cosplay. I want to style the wig a bit more, make the necklace a little shorter, and work on the eye makeup as well. But overall, the clothing/accessories are good to go! The main thing that still needs work is the prop for this costume:

Deme-chan has gone through a very long process. It was actually alsmost done before SacAnime 2016, but I decided to rework it (something I really regret doing). I ended up covering the existing prop with plaster to make it smoother, but the plaster kept cracking off!! It was soooo frustrating! I had no choice but to cover it with Fast Mache, which dried very bumpy. I am in the process of sanding and priming to make it as smooth as I can. Pheeeeew! It's been a very annoying process! At this point I am ready to paint this and be done with it xD I hope to be finished with it in the upcoming days. I will love to show you guys the complete costume ASAP! Once that is up, I will have a tutorial on Deme-Chan for your guys~

See you next time ^_^

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Circle Lens Review: EOS Dolly Eye Green

2016-02-29T22:24:00.001-08:00

Hello Generation of Cosplayers!

Long time no see everyone! DarthNancy here with another circle lens review~ This time it is for the lenses that I have worn the most! These are from the EOS Dolly Eye series in the color green. This line of circle lenses stands out because of their very vibrant shades. I picked it because the green looked GREEN! It ended up being a pretty great choice, which I will explain in the review! Keep reading for more ^_^

These lenses were the first ones I ever really wore. For the first year and a half of my cosplay adventures, I was terrified of wearing circle lenses. But I finally gave in and actually wore these for a con. They were/are actually really comfortable! I can wear them for an extended amount of time without my eyes feeling dry (although I still recommend putting in eye drops!). They are easy to put on and to take off, and they are very con friendly (I don't feel like I need to take them out after only 1 or 2 hours of wear. They will comfy for the entire con day!) I have no problems with visibility when I wear these and I'm hardly aware I'm even wearing contacts most of the time!

I was very surprised that the color of these is indeed quite vibrant! I have very dark eyes and usually colors get muddy when I wear them, but these stayed pretty true to color! I would definitely recommend them as far as color is concerned. I don't love the pattern on the lens, but I overlook that because of the vibrancy of the color. You can still see the color, even from a distance:

Price: 5/5

Vision: 5/5

Comfort: 5/5

Color: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Final Thoughts: These contacts are comfortable, bright, affordable, and overall a really great pair of lenses for cosplay. I love that I could wear these all day if I wanted to. I wish this line had more colors available than the ones they currently have! But for now, I will keep using thee green ones for Miss Fortune, Mercenary Katarina, and Poison Ivy. I purchased them HERE.

See you next time ^_^

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Cosplay Tutorial: Lucina (Fire Emblem) Tiara

2016-01-15T21:30:00.001-08:00

Hello Generation of Cosplay ❤

Today, I will be showing you how I create the tiara for my Masquerade Lucina cosplay!

Materials Used

Reference photo
Worbla
Scissors
Thin headband
Heat gun
Wood glue
Gold Spray paint
Acrylic paints
Paint brushes

Tutorial

1. Print out a reference photo to size. I cropped out the tiara from a photo and enlarged it. I am using this half as a reference for the shape of the tiara.

2. Take your reference and draw it out either on paper or straight onto the Worbla. Cut it out.

3. Take your Worbla shape and start heating it onto the heaband. I place the headband on the edge of my cutout and wrapped it around. Notice that I also started to shape the rest of the cutout upwards so that it has the tiara shape.

4. Take some Worbla scraps, heart them up until they are as soft as play dough, and use that to make the decorations on Lucina's tiara.

5. Prime the whole thing with wood glue!

6. Paint it! I used a gold spray paint and then used gold and black acrylics to add a little bit of dimension.

7. Seal the whole thing with a clear coat! And you are done~!

Have you played Fire Emblem: Awakening?

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Convention Roundup: SacAnime Winter 2016

2016-01-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

Hello Generation of Cosplayers!~

SacAnime Winter 2016 is long over, but we all had a great time cosplaying and hanging out with friends. Our weekend was really fun, but it was over much too quickly. Originally, only I (DarthNancy) was going to attend. But last minute both Discorda and AndyAlvv decided to join me on Day 2 of SacAnime. Here is a quick roundup of our weekend ^_^

Friday: Day 1

Day 1 of SacAnime, I cosplayed as Tohsaka Rin from Fate/Stay Night. This was my first time cosplaying Rin, but I will most certainly cosplay her again!! I do need to fix up a few things for next time ;)

Saturday: Day 2

Day 2 I was surprised to have Discorda (SlayBelle Katarina) and AndyAlvv (Mistletoe LeBlanc) join me at the con. However, it was a very pleasant surprise as we got to cosplay out Christmas skins. The only thing that sucked for me is that I forgot my belt for Miss Fortune at home T_T My cosplay looked incomplete!!! But other than that we had a blast!

We found a group of Pop Star skins!!!

We also found a Silent Night Sona~!

Can't forget a few silly pictures ;)

Oh and another silly picture!!

We took a few shots with 3 Kakashis (one of which is my brother)

We found Kindred!!

And a Soraka!

Amazing Yu-Gi-Oh! cosplayers!

Amazing Pokemon gijinka cosplays!

JayEl with ANBU Kakashis!

For the rest of Day 2, I actually changed and cosplayed Masquerade Lucina.

Sunday: Day 3

I was originally supposed to be cosplaying Yamuraiha on this day, but my dress got dirty, so decided to wear Lucina again. I am glad I did because I got Corpus Photography to take this awesome shot. I didn't have any photos of my Lucina cosplay before SacAnime, so I am glad I got a few photos taken!

That pretty sums up my weekend at SacAnime. I did not end up cosplaying either Shizuku or Yamuraiha, which is too bad but at least I got to wear Lucina for quite a bit. I am at least glad that I had fun and that I got to cosplay!!!

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Eyebrow Coloring Tutorial: Bleaching Method

2016-01-06T13:56:00.003-08:00

Hello Generation of Cosplayers ❤

Today's I'm bringing you a topic that enrages me to my very core: coloring eyebrows for cosplay. I'm of the opinion that coloring your eyebrows to match your wig makes your cosplay look a little better. Of course, it is not necessary to do this, but I like taking that extra step to make my cosplay look a bit more complete. Buuuut, I have very dark and thick eyebrows. Coloring them is insanely difficult and it makes me want to punch ~~someone in the face~~ something Dx For all of you who might have a hard time doing this too, here's a tutorial for one of the methods of coloring your eyebrows (and what I use as a base for all the other coloring methods I will be posting about). Enjoy ^_^ or you know, rage and go into a fit of hysterical madness because coloring eyebrows just sucks.

This method involves bleaching your eyebrows with Cream Bleach. This sounds scary, but it helps lighten very dark eyebrows. I do this occasionally when I feel like doing it. Don't worry, the effects of lighting the hairs goes away in a couple of weeks (so your eyebrows won't stay super light forever).

Products Needed

Cream Bleach for facial hair (any brand will do)
Water/Cloth to wipe the bleach at the end

Tutorial

1. Start by following the instructions on the box of cream bleach you purchased. The only thing you should be doing is mixing some of the cream with the accelerator and applying the paste onto your eyebrows.

2. Keep the mixture on for about 10 minutes. If you think your eyebrows need to be lighter, remove the mixture, reapply, and leave it on for another 10 minutes. I usually only do this process one to lighten my eyebrows just a tiny bit.

3. After the 10 minutes, wash of or clean off the mixture. You should be left with a lighter color.

Now you have a better base to work with with any other eyebrow coloring method (which I will have tutorials for soon). If you have never given this a try, go ahead! It is not as scary as it seems. Just be careful not to leave it on for too long xD

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Gathering Roundup: San Jose Christmas in the Park 2015

2015-12-21T15:59:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a great December and that you are all ready for the holidays! This year, we decided to start our holiday celebrations by attending the Christmas in the Park Gathering in San Jose, CA. Christmas in the Park is already an event of its own, something non-cosplay related. But, we had a cosplay gathering added to that event so we got to see a lot of Christmas themed cosplays! We decided that this gathering would be a perfect time to wear our League of Legends Christmas skins. We also decided it would be the perfect time to add another member to our group! One of our friends, Andrea, decided she would cosplay as Mistletoe LeBlanc. Her costume was totally last-minute, but it worked out wonderfully! You can check out the reveal of her cosplay HERE. So below are a few shots of us at the Christmas in the Park Gathering. Unfortunately, we did not get to join everyone for the group photo :( But enjoy what we do have to offer!

One of our favorite shots from the gathering is this one taken by Kuro Hung. The spot/lighting was perfect!

Photo Cred: Kuro Hung Photography

And we also got to take some pictures with this warewolf cosplayer! It was a really cool costume!

Photo Cred: Andrew Ramirez

Maleficent

HunterxHunter!!!!

Mistletoe LeBlanc (Andrea) and JayEl

We had a passing artist ask us if he could paint us (caricature style). This was a first time experience (we've never had anyone ask us if they could draw us or paint us!) and it was really amazing. He was so nice as to let us keep the painting too! *Note: info on the artist coming soon. He did leave us a business card but I currently do not have it with me.

A big shout out to our Mistletoe LeBlanc for joining our group!!

Christmas powers activate!!

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Cosplay Reveal: Mistletoe LeBlanc

2015-12-19T10:28:00.003-08:00

A new champion joins the battle...

Generation of Cosplay presents: Andrea as Mistletoe LeBlanc!

Tip Tuesday #5: Sewing Machine

2015-11-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday post.

Today's topic will be...sewing machines!

Sewing machines are scary. If you have very little experience with sewing like I did, a sewing machine will be extremely intimidating. The first time we tried to use a sewing machine, it was a bit of a disaster xD We had no idea how to thread it even after looking up several Youtube videos. But, with a bit of practice I have been able to get pretty good at using my sewing machine! So I wanted to offer a few tips on how to go about familiarizing yourself with a sewing machine :)

What kind of sewing machine should I start with? Start with something simple that does not have too many settings. I have a Brother LS-2125. It is simple and it is relatively inexpensive. It is a really great starter sewing machine! But you can use any machine you can get. As long as you have the user manual, you should be able to get around to use it.

Read the user manual and/or watch Youtube videos. Every sewing machine is different so make sure to read the user manual if you have it. It is also useful to look up tutorials on Youtube/Google. Just familiarize yourself with the settings and parts of your sewing machine.

Get hands-on experience. Start learning to wind up a bobbin, how to thread the machine, how to lift the foot, and how to run fabric through the machine. Learn how to control the presser and about the different stitches you can use. Get scrap fabric and just start practicing running it through the machine. Don't worry about making anything yet. Just familiarize yourself with the machine. Become one with the machine!!
You can practice on sewing sheets! These are papers you can print out and use for sewing practice. You can find some HERE.
Pick a small project to start with. For me, it was sewing small things like the faux fur trim on my boots for Candy Cane Miss Fortune, or the ears for my Bunny Suit Poison Ivy. I then worked my way up to bigger things. Don't start with anything too complex!
Dive right in~ Once you feel comfortable with using your sewing machine, you can finally start with a larger project. For me it was a skirt. Skirts are not too complicated but they will give you and idea of how to work with patterns, sewing pieces together, hemming, zippers, waistbands, and/or how to make pleats.

The first step in learning how to sew cosplay costumes will be becomes bffs with the sewing machine. Honestly I can tell you by personal experience that the best way to learn how to use a sewing machine is not by watching tutorials, but my just diving in and getting hands-on experience!

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Weight Loss For The Busy Cosplayer

2015-11-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hello Generation of Cosplay!

Discorda here!

Long time no see! I have been extremely busy with school this quarter, as some of you know, I'm currently a student at Cal Poly... and it is definitely kicking my butt.

While I haven't been able to get around to many of my cosplay things because of this and money, there is one thing that I have slowly started towards; weight loss for some future cosplays.

Now, it is important to note that cosplay is for every body type. No matter how small, big, booty-less, tittle-less, etc, everyone can cosplay whoever they want, as long as they're comfortable and confident.

With that being said, I'm one of those people who isn't exactly comfortable showing my tummy at all times, and this is something I will eventually have to do for some of my future cosplays. However, I know I could rock my confidence if I slimmed down a bit.

Today, I will be sharing a couple of my tips on weight loss!

We all know that weight loss is a pain in the butt. Dieting, exercising, and tracking all take a good amount of time to do, and for some of us, we just don't have the time to do all that.

I love to exercise! I love going to the gym and breaking a good sweat, and having my body sore the next day.... but that's something I haven't been able to do this quarter because of time. Instead, I have found other ways to lose weight in a safe way, without exercising or even extreme dieting!

Check out these tips!

Try to stop needless snacking

Snacking is good! But try snacking on granola bars, fruits, veggies, and other healthy things.
Avoid sweets and junk foods.

Craving something sweet? Replace it with dark chocolate!

I'm a girl. I love chocolate. I need it. A good replacement is dark chocolate; it's actually good for you! How? I don't know, I just know it is.
Try getting something really dark, with not too much sugar. It'll still satisfy your sweet tooth without all the extra sugars and calories!

Drink LOTS of water

Drink water. Pee. Drink more water, then pee again. Then repeat.
Seriously, I can't stress how important this is. I tend to chug a water bottle when I wake up and before I go to bed, then about 3 or 4 throughout the day. This may seem like a lot, but trust me, it will help SO much.
Wanna take it to the next level? Try drinking a gallon of water a day. It seems like a lot, but it will actually help your body a lot.

Green Tea & Oolong Tea.

Green Tea helps with weight loss because it gives your metabolism a boost. Oolong does the same, but it's quite a bit stronger, that being said...
START WITH GREEN TEA. Oolong tea is too strong too start off with, and you can get the same effect with green tea. I recommend starting with a box of green tea, and drink that for about 3-6 months, after every meal or 2 times a day.
After your body is used to the tea for a while, then it's okay to move up to Oolong, and drink that twice a day.
WARNING:

You should not drink these teas on an empty stomach. It will just make you feel nauseous.
DO NOT buy those detox tea packs. They are overpriced and will only make you lose weight for a week or two, then gain the weight again. Instead, try green and oolong teas.

Try eating out less, cook at home.

As a college student who works at Panda Express, this one is kinda hard. If you do eat out, try not to do it so often and not go overboard.

After losing a few more pounds, I hope to eventually have time to go to the gym and tone up my slimmer body! If you're busy, you should try this! Eventually, I am planning on writing a series of posts about my workouts and Cosplay workout progress! DO IT FOR THE COSPLAY!!!!

Besides this, It's also always good to track your progress! I have found it helps me to know that things are actually happening. For those of you hoping to shed a few pounds like me, I hope this helps!

Try MyFitnessPal to track your progress/food/exercise and much more!

I recommend this Green Tea!

I recommend this Oolong Tea!

New to dark chocolate, but I tried Lindt Dark Chocolate (even though it doesn't have ALL the health benefits) because it was affordable and did not have as many sugars, and loved it!

Until next time!

*cough* SQUAAAAAAAd *cough*

What Not To Do When You Work on Cosplay #4

2015-10-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hello Generation of Cosplayers! ^_^

DarthNancy here, bringing you more things not to do when you're working on your cosplay!

Today's topic is...what not to do when using a sewing machine or needle!

Don't be like Dee and try to run someone's hand under the needle!

For obvious reasons, you have to be super careful when you use a sewing machine, needles, and pins. I can't tell you have many times I have pricked myself with straight pins when trying to hem something, or how many times I have broken my skin with a sewing needle. The most serious thing you could do, though, is accidentally running your finger through the presser foot and stabbing yourself with the needle. I personally have not had this happened to me, it has happened to my mother. She somehow ran her finger through the foot and the needle came down on went into her nail. The worst part is that the needle broke and stayed in her nail so she had to pull it out. It was very gross and looked very painful! So make sure to pay attention when you are using the sewing machine!

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Tip Tuesday #4: Sewing

2015-10-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday post.

Today's topic will be...sewing!

Cosplay is an awesome hobby and some of us got into cosplay much earlier than others. For example, even though I've been going to conventions for about 10 years, I've only been cosplaying for about 3 years. Some people are also lucky to have previous sewing skills, while many of us have zero experience with sewing. Sewing and clothing construction skills are extremely useful when you're a cosplayer, because you can create and alter cosplays on your own (without the need for buying every part of your cosplay). If you're like me, and have absolute no sewing skills and no clue how to use a sewing machine, start by teaching yourself some sewing basics. If you can, sign up for a beginners sewing class. That will teach you many essential basics! But if you can't, use online tutorials to help you how to learn.

http://sewsitall.blogspot.com/2010/10/hand-sewing-basic-stitches.html

I suggest starting with basic hand sewing. I used THIS blog post to teach me about basic stitches. Try making something small and easy (like a small bag, or a bow). The first thing I made was the bows for my Candy Cane Miss Fortune guns; that was a great beginner project. Although for some people it works to dive in at the deep end of a pool (i.e., start with a difficult project), it is usually better to start off small. Once you get the hang of some basic hand sewing, try your hand at using a sewing machine (but that's a whole separate thing!)

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Cosplay Tutorial: Mercenary Katarina (LoL) Arm Bracers

2015-10-17T11:39:00.002-07:00

Also check out: Mercenary Katarina Breastplate

Hello Generation of Cosplayers!

Here's another oldie that I wanted to post on here. This is for Katarina's arm bracers! These could be used for her regular skin or for Mercenary Katarina (which is the skin I made these for).

Products Used

Scissors
Worbla
Craft foam
Heat Gun
Gesso primer
Spray paint (silver)
Small brushes
Acrylic paints (black and silver)

Tutorial

1. I started out by making a pattern with craft foam (you can see THIS tutorial). Then I proceeded with the "sandwich Worbla" method for making armor pieces. Basically this is using two layers of Worbla to sandwich the craft foam pattern you made (so you will have worbla-craft foam-worbla). This ensures that the armor piece will be thick and durable. For the arm pieces, I used one piece of craft foam and two pieces of Worbla to create a cuff-like shape. I used my heating tool to bind the pieces together and to bend the Worbla into a cylinder shape that would fit around my wrist. The easiest way to shape the Worbla is to heat it up and then to gently bend it, then place it over the area you will be wearing it on. In this case, I wrapped it around my wrist (I protected this area with a thin sweater since the Worbla will be hot), and then gently pressed it so it would get a good shape (although it did not end up perfect).

2. Once I had the basic shape done, I went to make the spikes. For this, I improvised. I used those tips that are used for frosting cakes xD They were the perfect size and it made this whole process so much easier. Because the spikes are hollow, ~~I filled them in with Model Magic and then used a bit of Model Magic to create a base around the spike. I then glued the Model Magic base onto the Worbla.~~ EDIT: Model Magic SUCKS!!! It made the spikes really fragile. If you are doing this method, I suggest filling the frosting tips with heated up Worbla instead. I had to remove all the spikes and do this to get the spikes to really stick to the rest of the bracer. DO NOT USE MODEL MAGIC!

With Model Magic

Fixed with Worbla

3. I followed Step 2 to make a total of 5 spikes for each bracer. You can add your own touches to this by adding small designs and borders with Worbla. ^_^ Here you can see the difference between one bracer that I was barely starting and one that already had the spikes on.

4. After adding the spikes and all the details are done, you can prime the entire bracer with Gesso (or Woodglue).

5. After applying a few coats of Gesso, you can finally paint your bracer. I just used a silver spray paint as a base color and silver and black acrylic paints for details.

6. I secured to these to my arms by adding 4 D-rings on the inside and using laces to lace these on my arm. You are essentially corseting these on your arms. There are better ways to secure bracers onto your arms, but this method is the easiest, least-time consuming way.

That's pretty much it! If you have any questions, let me know in the comment section below!

See you next time ^_^

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Cosplay Tutorial: Mercenary Katarina (LoL) Breastplate Armor

2015-10-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

Also check out: Mercenary Katarina Bracers

Greetings Generation of Cosplayers!

This is an oldie, but a goodie! I created my Mercenary Katarina cosplay a while ago (2 years ago) and I thought I would share it here! This was the first thing I ever made with Worbla. Scratch that, this was the first cosplay prop/armor I ever made. I messed up a lot, but it was such a good learning experience. I've been wanting to remake this but I haven't had the time or money for it. For the mean time, enjoy this old Worbla tutorial!

The first part I began to make for my Mercenary Katarina costume is her breastplate. I should begin by saying that I had never seen anyone actually make an armor piece for this costume. All the cosplays I've seen use a black corset or something made out of fabric.So I had no idea how this was going to come out xD

1. I used Kamui's tutorial on how she makes patterns and breastplate armors. She is an amazing cosplayer and her videos are really helpful!! Basically she uses Worbla, craft foam, and a heating tool. I had never used Worbla before this, but she made it look so easy! Well, I had no idea what I was getting myself into! This is NOT as easy as it looks. It definitely takes practice. But I went into anyways. Armed with a sheet of Worbla, some craft foam and a heating tool, I started to make my breastplate.

2. If you watch the Kamui's video, you'll have a better idea of what I did here. I wrapped myself with plastic wrap and tape and then drew on the pattern on the tape. Then I removed it and cut up my pattern. I transferred the pattern to the craft foam and them sandwiched it between two pieces of Worbla. I thus created the bottom portion of my breastplate! And yay for the Food 4 Less bag!

3. Then I made the, as Kamui likes to call them, boobie bags! xD

In the video, Kamui uses a PVC globe to shape the breast circles, but I could not find anything like it. So I used the closest thing that I had that was round: a sturdy food strainer. Yup, I used a kitchen item! Haha. But it worked alright. It definitely was not the best thing to use, so for future breastplates I will need to get a sphere that has a smooth surface. I heated up a double layer of Worbla and stretched it over the round strainer to get the desired shape. It was really annoying and difficult D:< Breastplates are definitely hard to make (well mostly just the boobie bags!)

4. After I was done with the boobie bags I put everything together. Worbla is awesome because you can just connect pieces by heating them up! I also added some details, although to be hones,t I messed up a lot. I learned a lot about using Worbla from making this. There are a lot of things I would do differently next time!

5. Worbla has a rough texture, so it is best to prime it very well and sand it. I used 3 coats of Gesso to prime my armor (I would use woodglue instead of Gesso now).

6. After the primer is dried and you have sanded (actually I was too excited and forgot to sand >_<), you can get to painting! I first used a flat black spray paint to create a base color. I then used Martha Stewart Acrylic paints in a metallic silver and satin black to give it a bit of detail. I have absolutely no experience in painting. ZERO! This was my first time using any kind of paints outside of my kindergarten class xD If any of you have any painting advice for me, please let me know ^_^ I would be eternally grateful!

7. I decided to go ahead and figure out how I'm going to secure this breastplate. I decided to use D rings secured with pieces of Worbla to make a corset-type closure. I also added some transparent bra straps to the top of the armor to support my chest up as well.

My first experience with Worbla was, overall, really great. It was a learning process that only comes with physically working with the material. It does not matter how many tutorials you watch, you will absolutely learn the most from hands-on experience. If you are thinking of using Worbla, the best thing to do learn by using the material. I would not suggest starting with such a big piece like this breastplate; start with something smaller.

See you next time ^_^

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Prop Tutorial: Yamuraiha (Magi) Staff

2015-10-15T13:20:00.001-07:00

"Sorry, but I'm a genius magician ^_~" -Yamuraiha

Hi everyone! It's time to show you guys a ~~sort of~~ tutorial on the staff I made for my Yamuraiha cosplay. This was the first staff I have ever made and the biggest prop I've ever made. I messed up a lot on it, but that only means I learned a lot from making those mistakes. I am here to give you guys some tips on how to go about making a prop like this. You might see that my staff does not break down into two parts (because I messed up on that part) so it makes transportation a little difficult. I am planning on remaking this staff at some point, so I will have a better tutorial for a two piece staff later on. Because this staff has such an organic shape, it is a rather easy beginner project. Anyway, to the tutorial!!

Materials Used

Reference pictures
Large piece(s) of cardboard or poster board
Writing utensil
Box cutter
2 8" Styrofoam half orbs (they are sold by halves)
Wooden dowel/stick/PVC pipe (for support)
2 cans of expandable foam
Carving knife
1-2 rolls of masking tape
Newspaper
Paper Mache glue (I make this out of water, Elmer's glue, and cornstarch)
Fast Mache (or plaster)
Sandpaper
1-2 bottles of woodglue
1 can of pink spray paint
Sealing spray

Tutorial

1. Find a whole bunch of reference pictures to help you decided on the shape of the staff. I used the photo below because Yamura's staff changes a lot from episode to episode, and frame to frame. This is the shape I liked the most, and the one I wanted to create.

2. Draw out a small prototype of what you want; this is to estimate what size each part of the staff will be. This will hopefully prevent making any sizing mistakes once you get to the real thing.

3. Draw out the shape of the staff on cardboard or thick poster paper and cut it out with a box cutter, and leave an 8" circumference space in the middle for the orb. This is going to serve as the base for your staff so make sure you draw out the exact shape you want your staff to have. Since the staff is quite big, you might have to use 1-3 separate pieces of cardboard and then tape any parts together. If you are going for a staff that separates into multiple pieces for easy storage, now is the time to decide where you want the pieces to break off.

4. Glue the half orbs on the cardboard base. I just used hot glue to keep them in place since the expandable foam we will be using is actually going to do a better job at keeping the orb in place.

5. Because this is a staff, you will need to add support to it. You can use a wooden dowel (which is what I used) or PVC pipe. I used a wooden dowel on the bottom part of the staff, but to be honest I should have added smaller pieces on the curves and on the base of the top part of the staff. My staff is okay, but the curves lack support so a part of it started to crack. Make sure you add plenty of support for the best outcome! All you have to do is tape or glue the dowel/PVC pipe to onto one side of the cardboard base. It is such an easy, yet vital step to making this staff.

6. Put the staff cutout on some plastic and start spraying expandable foam on it. Because this staff has two sides, you will have to spray one side of the staff, wait for the foam to expand (at last 2 hours) and then turn it over and spray the other side. Let the foam expand and dry overnight before you start carving into it.

7. Take a carving knife, and start carving out the shape of the staff into the foam. Use the cardboard base as a guide, but try to guide the staff a fuller 3D shape (sine the cardboard base is flat and 2D). If you mess up or cut too much, you can always add more expandable foam to it.

8. Once you are content with the shape of the staff, mask tape the whole thing! Yep, you have to tape the entire thing!!! Well...the only thing I did not tape was the orb. I left that as is for now. You can use just 1 layer of tape. This will take a bit of time to do. Here is the top part of the staff all taped out.

9. Paper Mache the entire staff, except for the orb. Start laying newspaper and glue on this. The paper mache will give this prop more weight and also make it stronger. That way, it won't break easily. I only did 1 layer of paper mache.

10. Fast Mache or Plaster the entire staff. To avoid doing too much sanding and getting a smooth finish, use either Fast Mache or plaster over the paper mache. I used Fast Mache because I already had some (although I think it would have been better to use plaster). Fast Mache is basically paper ground up into powder, which you add water to to make a thick paste. Then you just smooth paste over the surface. Fast Mache will dry to be insanely rough, but it gives you an even surface. You will have to sand this, but let it dry for at least 24 hours first.

12. After you sand the Fast Mache, it is time to prime!! I personally prefer to prime with Woodglue because it gives a very smooth finish and you don't have to sand it (unlike Gesso). I used about 3 layers of woodglue. Since we did not Paper Mache or Fast Mache the orb, make sure to add woodglue to give the Styrofoam orb a smooth surface.

13. Paint time! After you've primed, you can finally paint. I rushed to finish this for SacAnime, so I just spray painted it with a coral pink color. We don't want the orb to be pink, so I covered it with plastic wrap and tape. Once I finished spray painting, I used a pearly white acrylic to paint the orb. Seal everything with an acrylic sealing spray.

And you're done!! Enjoy your new staff :D

See you next time ^_^

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Sneak Peek: Mistletoe LeBlanc (League of Legends)

2015-10-12T12:50:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!!

As you are all aware, Discorda and I cosplay League of Legends champions, our group cosplay consisting of two of the Christmas skins (Katarina and Miss Fortune). We are happy to announce that we have another champion joining our group for our Christmas skin group cosplay! Mistletoe LeBlanc! Here is a sneak peek of that cosplay, which will likely be done for Anime Expo 2016.

Another champion appears...

This is the new member, Chrome ^_^

Just kidding, our new member is a human. But you can't resist a cute dog wearing a cape, right?

See you next time ^_^

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